Packaging



Dec. 1., I Y o uglMAN 3,543,471

PACKAGING Filed Oct. 10, 1968 V- za@ nx /nl/ fr/azlv;

3,543,471 PACKAGING Derek Henry Youngman, Maitland, Cape Province, Re-

public of South Africa, assignor to Molins Machine Company Limited, London, England, a corporation of Great Britain Filed Oct. 10, 1968, Ser. No. 766,403 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Oct. 17, 1967, 47,197 67 Int. Cl. B65b 11/36 US. Cl. 53-32 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A rotary boxer for packaging batches of cigarette packets comprises a rotary drum with peripheral pockets to which successive blanks are fed; the blanks are first partially plunged into the pockets, and then plunged entirely into the pockets by pushing batches of packets into the partly-formed blanks, which help to guide the batches into the pockets.

This invention relates to packaging apparatus and is particularly, although not exclusively, concerned with rotary apparatus for packaging or boxing batches of packets of cigarettes by a method which includes forming a blank around the batch of packets of cigarettes.

In one such rotary apparatus the blanks are fed in succession, one to each of a plurality of forming devices disposed at regular intervals around the periphery of a forming drum which rotates to carry the blanks to a number of stations where the various packaging operations, including the step of feeding a batch of packets to the forming device, are performed, preferably whilst the drum rotates.

According to the present invention there is provided a method of packaging batches of articles which comprises continuously feeding blanks sequentially one to each of a succession of pockets carried along an endless path, partially pushing each blank into its pocket, thereby partially forming the blank and thereby pushing the blank fully into its pocket, completing the formation of the blank about the batch to complete the package, and ejecting the package from the pocket.

Further according to the invention there is provided apparatus for packaging batches of articles, comprising in combination a rotary drum having a plurality of pockets arranged around its periphery, blank feeding means to feed successive blanks to the drum to overlie successive pockets, a first plunger operative to push successive blanks partially into successive pockets and thereby partially form the blanks, means to feed batches of articles towards the drum, a second plunger operative to push successive batches of articles into the partially formed blanks in successive pockets and to push the batches and blanks completely into the pockets, means to complete the folding of the blanks about the batches to form complete packages, and means to eject complete packages from the pockets.

The apparatus may comprise blank-receiving members located between the pockets and each arranged to receive and locate the leading end of a blank which is being fed to the drum, and guide the blank to overlie the next succeeding pocket. The said blank-receiving members may have receiving surfaces with fingers thereon which together with said surfaces form recesses to receive the leading edges of blanks.

The pockets arranged around the drum may have movable bases, cam means being provided whereby the said bases are moved radially outwardly to eject the packages.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described,

nited States Patent by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing which is a vertical section through a rotary machine for boxing packets of cigarettes in groups of ten packets arranged to lie flat in side-by-side relationship in two layers.

Referring to the drawing, there is shown a drum 1 which rotates continuously on a horizontal shaft 2, and a feed mechanism 3 for blanks 4 which are delivered in succession in a continuous stream and on to the drum 1 at an angle somewhat greater than tangential. The machine also comprises a feed conveyor 5 for the incoming batches of packets of cigarettes 6 and a discharge conveyor 7 for the completed boxes 8 of cigarettes. By means of mechanism which will now be described, the blanks 4 are partially shaped, the packets of cigarettes 6 inserted into the partially formed blanks and the formation of the blanks into boxes around the cigarette packets completed.

The drum 1 is provided at regular intervals around its periphery with alternately arranged series of pockets 9 and blank-receiving anchor posts 10, each of which projects radially from the drum 1, the pockets 9 extend ing axially thereof more or less for the length of the boxes 8, which length is the dimension which corresponds to the width of five packets of cigarettes. A plurality of the anchor posts 10 is arranged in line between every two pockets. The pockets 9 are open-mouthed to receive the blanks 4 and then the batches of cigarette packets 6, and are defined by fixed side walls 11, and movable bases 12. These bases 12 are mounted for radial movement on the ends of spring-loaded connecting rods 13 carrying at their other ends followers 14 which run on a cam 15 which is fixed relative to the drum 1. The cam 15 and the followers 14 co-operate to control the movement of the bases 12 so as to eject the finished boxes 8 on to the conveyor 7.

Around the periphery of the drum 1 from the blank feed mechanism 3 there are disposed a preforming blank plunger 16, and a packet plunger 17, both of which plungers move in a more or less circular path which interferes with the periphery of the drum 1; adhesive applicators 18 and 19, a long flap tucker 21, side flap tuckers 22 and 23 and a stationary tucker 25.

The anchor posts 10 have receiving surfaces which are provided with catcher fingers 24 which define with the posts recesses into which the leading edges of the blanks 4 are fed from the blank feed mechanism 3. Having been fed onto the drum 1 in this way the blanks 4 overlie the pockets 9 and their trailing edges may overlie the next anchor post 10 around the drum.

The rotation of the drum 1 brings the blanks in succession to the preforming plunger 16 which acts to push each blank in succession part of the way into the pocket 9 which it overlies. This partial plunging of a blank into a pocket forms the centre part of the blank into U shape in cross-section, thus producing what may be described as a funnel to receive and guide into the pocket a batch of packets pushed into the funnel by the packet plunger 17. The limbs of the U extending from the pocket tend to curve or how outwardly and thus assist in guiding the batch.

The plunger 17 pushes a batch completely into the pocket 9, the batch pushing the blank completely into the pocket with it, so that the base of the U is pushed up against the base plate 12 of the pocket.

The continued rotation of the drum 1 brings the pockets 9 containing the formed blanks 4 and the packets 8 to the adhesive applicators 18 and 19 and the tuckers 21, 22, 23 and 25 which act to complete the formation of the blanks 4 around the packets 6 into the boxes 8 and then to the conveyor 7 onto which they are pushed by the plates 12 as the followers 14 rise up the cam 15.

It will be appreciated that the plunger 16, which partially performs the blanks, need only move a short distance into a pocket before it is withdrawn again. This simplifies the construction of the apparatus and permits rapid operation. Further, the arrangement whereby each blank is partially thrust into its pocket before the pocket reaches the batch-inserting station makes it possible to economise in space, since the action of the preforming plunger 16 in pressing part of a blank into a pocket, obviously reduces the space occupied by the blank on the periphery of the drum.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A method of packaging batches of articles which comprises continuously feeding blanks sequentially one to each of a succession of pockets carried along an endless path, pushing each blank a short distance only into its pocket, thereby partially forming the blank, said short distance being only a part of the total depth of said pockets, pushing a batch of articles into the partially formed blank and thereby pushing the blank fully into its pocket, completing the formation of the blank about the batch to complete the package, and ejecting the pack age from the pocket.

2. Apparatus for packaging batches of articles, comprising in combination a rotary drum having a plurality of pockets arranged around its periphery, blank feeding means to feed successive blanks to the drum to overlie successive pockets, a first plunger operative to push successive blanks a short distance only into successive pockets and thereby partially form the blanks, said short distance being only a part of the total depth of said pockets, means to feed batches of articles towards the drum, a second plunger operative to push successive batches of articles into the partially formed blanks in successive pockets and to push the batches and blanks completely into the pockets, means to complete the folding of the blanks about the batches to form complete packages, and means to eject complete packages from the pockets.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, comprising a plurality of blank-receiving members located between adjacent pockets and each arranged to receive and locate the 4 leading end of a blank which is being fed to the drum, and guide the blank to overlie the next succeeding pocket.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the said blank-receiving members have receiving surfaces with fingers thereon which together with said surfaces form recesses to receive the leading edges of said blanks.

5. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the pockets have movable bases, and comprising cam means whereby as said drum rotates said bases are moved radially outwardly to eject the complete packages.

6. Apparatus for packaging batches of articles, comprising in combination an endless conveyor having a plurality of successive pockets, blank feeding means to feed successive blanks to said conveyor to overlie successive pockets, a first plunger operative to push successive blanks a short distance only into successive pockets and thereby partially form the blanks, said short distance being only a part of the total depth of said pockets, means to feed batches of articles towards the conveyor, a second plunger operative to push successive batches of articles into the partially formed blanks in successive pockets and to push the batches and the blanks completely into the pockets, means to complete the folding of the blanks about the batches to form complete packages, and means to eject complete packages from the pockets.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,060,983 5/1913 Kempf 53-234 X 2,010,275 8/1935 Rose 53195 2,277,877 3/1942 Malhiot 53-194 2,603,047 7/1952 Malhiot 53-195 THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner N. ABRAMS, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 5 3-234 

